Just finished my advocacy documentary and oh boy, it's a hoot.
Two of the high schools in Missoula, Montana require the completion of what's called a senior project before graduation. Many of the classmates I've talked to explain that this is not worthwhile, you know. It’s not pressing to them. Most of them don’t see the opportunity, whereas I see the potential for good work. My classmates choose hobby projects, playing the banjo or learning to rock climb. I decided to create a documentary, asking the question: how will Montana derive its energy in the future and what role so-called “clean coal” will play.
So in September I embarked on a life ridden with Internet research and emailing my mentor, a former candidate for Montana’s Public Service Commission. My opinions were fairly general at the beginning. I didn’t have a solid grasp of the science, what local and state politicians were telling the public then, and how I would involve myself in this complex statewide conversation. Not only that, my objective wasn’t clear when I started—I had no idea what length the film should be, whom I should interview and most importantly how much time I’d devote to the project. I also didn’t have much of any bias. Throughout the 7 months, my opinions have changed and so has the subject of the 'mentary. Opinions have become more refined and solidified at times, only to change once again. The initial work output, I thought, was going to address what role coal would play; this made a 270 degree turn into what role the public would play in deciding future development of energy.
I tried to ask non-leading questions. Very basic questions, you know. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Is coal sustainable in Montana from an environmental/resource perspective?
Is the price of coal comparable to the price of renewable energy (an economic stance)?
Is coal sustainable in Montana from a technological viewpoint?
What's holding the public back right now from demanding a clean, renewable future in the way we produce power? What's holding the alternatives back?
It's an advocacy piece, and obviously my opinions are very driven. I’m mostly interested by the constant grind between capitol-driven interests and the public good. And so it was difficult to mask this ambition. I found that through the editing process, this became 25 percent harder to accomplish.
Montana has not yet cut the red tape and decided what role industry will play in a post-deregulation, clean energy era. I read a letter to the editor written by my neighbor the other day directed at the presidential candidates.
Dear Obama, it read. When you visited Montana, you discussed our ability to go a-fishin'. Then you cited the Montana as a coal state. The governor of Montana and energy developers are the only people who have this perception. This is an agricultural, recreational, forestry state. You won't be able to fly-fish in the future if fossil fuels like coal are moratoriumalized, because in recent years water temperature and water flow has been restricted due to regional climate change.
This is where my research of current events and interviews has come into play and really helped me form my own opinion, separate from my parents and high school. This was one of my personal goals-- now that I’ve at least made some ground, it feels refreshing.
This project has really engaged me in the public debate by bringing me into the community. On October 22, my dad and I filmed the Clean Coal Protest at the UM Oval where we heard from a range of powerful, knowledgeable speakers including David Merrill, Seth Pogue and James Roof. I traveled to Butte in November for a sustainable energy conference that the Alternative Energy Resource Organization sponsored. And at the tail end of November, I attended the town hall-style presentation of Montana’s Energy Future at the Holiday Inn Parkside in Missoula. My mother and I traveled to the Judith Gap Basin near Harlowton, Montana and captured some beautiful images of the epitome of Montana’s possibility for alternative energy.
What more can you ask from a project if it takes a person on the crux of college, who has an idea of what civic duty means, and the steps of involvement? In my case, the senior project has thrust me into an engaging atmosphere. It’s given me connections in the environmental community. It’s given me a desire to be a volunteer member of MontPIRG next year. So far, I’ve gone from not knowing the science of the Fisher-Trope Process to attending lectures and researching Montana’s past and future in energy development to actually establishing a well-informed opinion. I feel this project has also brought me along emotionally as a person. Being able to juggle research and new thought, interviews and the editing process is no simple task. It’s been a building, continual process and altogether a positive one so far and it’s important for me to usher in the next new challenge.
If you're interested in seeing the final product, shoot me a quick email at o-exotic-rubber-soul@hotmail.com. It'll be on youtube within the week and I'll update the following. I reckon it's called Don't Look Back, Montana
